Playground climber

ABSTRACT

A children&#39;s climber for parks and playgrounds generally consisting of a first arcuately shaped rail member having end portions supportable on the ground, a second arcuately-shaped rail member having end portions supportable on the ground, such rail members lying in intersecting planes, and a plurality of rungs interconnecting the rail members providing a helical climbing course.

This invention relates to park and playground equipment and moreparticularly to climbing equipment for children.

Climbing equipment for parks and playgrounds traditionally has beensimple and basic in design, providing little to stir the imagination ofchildren. With the advent of the Space Age and travel in outer space, ithas been found to be desirable to provide a piece of climbing equipmentwhich comports with the current interest in space, stimulates theimagination of children and yet is durable in construction to provide along service life and challenging in configuration to promote properbodybuilding exercises.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention toprovide a plaything suitable for use in parks and playgrounds forchildren.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel playthingsuitable for use by children in parks and playgrounds which isimaginative in construction.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel climbingapparatus for use by children in parks and playgrounds which connotesspace travel in its design.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novelclimbing apparatus suitable for use by children in parks and playgroundswhich not only is imaginative in design but durable in construction andchallenging in configuration.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel climbingapparatus for use by children in parks and playgrounds which has a highlevel of play value.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel climbingapparatus suitable for erecting in parks and playgrounds for use bychildren which is designed for ease of assembly and for minimummaintenance.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent to those persons having ordinary skill in the art to which thepresent invention pertains from the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view of the preferred embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front-elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1and 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along Line 4--4 in FIG.2.

Generally, the present invention includes a set of rails 10 and 11 and aplurality of rungs 12. When fully erected, rail member 10 will lie in asubstantially vertical plane with its end portions 10a and 10b supportedon or in the ground, and rail member 11 similarly will lie in asubstantially vertical plane with the end portions 11a and 11b beingsupported on or in the ground. As best shown in FIG. 2, the planes inwhich rail members 10 and 11 lie intersect each other at approximatelythe midpoints of their lengths so that leg portions 10a and 11a arespaced a small distance apart and end portions 10b and 11b are similarlyspaced a small distance apart. The radius of rail member 10 is slightlygreater than the radius of rail member 11 so that the midpoints of therail members, where they intersect, are spaced vertically as best shownin FIG. 1.

Rungs 12 interconnect rail members 10 and 11 and are spaced along thelengths thereof so that they lie in a substantially helical plane. Eachof the rungs is of a tubular construction having the end portionsthereof flattened and rigidly secured by welding to the rail members.

Rail member 10 is formed of two arcuately shaped tubular portions 10cand 10d which abut at their upper ends and are rigidly secured togetherby a coupling pin 13 as best seen in FIG. 4. The coupling pin isreceived within the abutting ends of tubular portions 10c and 10d and issecured in position by means of a pair of set screws 14 and 15.Similarly, rail member 11 is formed from a pair of arcuately shapedtubular portions 11c and 11d having their upper ends abutting and joinedtogether by a similar coupling pin. In essence, the entire climbingapparatus is constructed in two sections, a section A consisting of railsegments 10c and 11c interconnected by a set of rungs 12 and a section Bconsisting of rail segments 10d and 11d interconnected by a second setof rungs 12. In this regard, it is contemplated that the embodiment asdescribed would be fabricated at a manufacturing site in sections A andB which would be transported to a selected site at a park or playgroundfor final erection.

In erecting the equipment, it is important that the supporting endportions of the rail members be firmly anchored in the ground.Preferably, such end portions should be embedded in concrete to preventsuch end portions from becoming uprooted and causing the equipment totopple. In the preferred method of erection, the locations of where theend portions of the rail members will be positioned are determined,footings are dug at such locations, sections A and B of the equipmentare assembled together with coupling pins 12 and set screws 13, the endportions of the unit are positioned in the footing holes, the unit isbraced in its desired position and concrete is poured in the footingholes to embed the end portions of the rail members. After the concretehas set, the bracing devices are removed, the unfilled portions of thefooting holes may be filled with dirt, and sod may be placed around thelower ends of the rail members to provide an aesthetic and pleasingeffect.

The rail segments and rungs may be formed of any sturdy materialalthough it is preferred that such components be made of metal such assteel or aluminum. It furthermore is preferred that the end portions ofthe rungs be flattened as best shown in FIG. 4 to avoid any protrusionsor sharp edges which may cause injury to children using the equipment,and to provide suitable mating surfaces for welding the rungs to therail segments.

In use, as a child ascends one side of the equipment and begins toinvert his or her orientation, the child may continue in an invertedattitude as he or she continues the climb or may climb onto the upperside of the equipment and continue climbing in the same attitude.Changing attitude as the child climbs the length of the equipment willgive the illusion of being in outer space thereby stimulating theimagination of the child while promoting bodybuilding exercises.

From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that thereare a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the presentinvention which come within the province of those persons havingordinary skill in the art to which the aforementioned inventionpertains. However, it is intended that all such variations not departingfrom the spirit of the invention be considered as within the scopethereof as limited solely by the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A children's climbing apparatus suitable for use in parksand playgrounds comprising:a first arcuate rail member having a pair offirst member end portions supportable by the ground, a second arcuaterail member having a pair of second member end portions supportable bythe ground, said first and second arcuate rail members lying generallyin intersecting planes, said first and second arcuate rail members beingpositioned relative to each other and to a vertical plane having firstand second sides such that one said first member end portion ispositioned on said first side and the other said first member endportion is positioned on said second side and the one said second memberend portion closest to said one said first member end portion ispositioned on said second side and the other said second member endportion is positioned on said first side, and a plurality of children'sclimbing rungs interconnecting said first and second rail members. 2.The children's climbing apparatus of claim 1 including,said first andsecond arcuate rail members being positioned in vertical planes.
 3. Thechildren's climbing apparatus of claim 1 including,said rungs being oftubular construction and having flattened end portions welded to saidfirst and second rail members.
 4. The children's climbing apparatus ofclaim 1 including,each of said first and second arcuate rail memberscomprising first and second segments, providing a pair of sectionsconsisting of a pair of rail segments interconnected by a set of rungs,and a securing means for rigidly securing said sections together.
 5. Thechildren's climbng apparatus of claim 4 including,said securing meansincluding a pair of coupling pins disposed in abutting ends of said railsegments of said first and second arcuate rail members.
 6. Thechildren's climbing apparatus of claim 1 including,said first arcuaterail member having a radius of curvature greater than the radius ofcurvature of said second arcuate rail member, and said rungs beingpositioned in a helical plane.
 7. The children's climbing apparatus ofclaim 1 including,said first and second arcuate rail members beingsymmetrical about a vertical plane.
 8. The children's climbing apparatusof claim 1 including,said rung nearest one of the ends of said firstarcuate rail member being generally horizontal, and said rung nearestthe midpoint of said first arcuate rail member being generally vertical.9. The children's climbing apparatus of claim 1 including,the midpointsof said first and second arcuate rail members being vertically spaced.10. The children's climbing apparatus of claim 1 including,the highestpoint of said first arcuate rail member being spaced above the highestpoint of said second arcuate rail member.
 11. The children's climbingapparatus of claim 1 including,said rungs being positioned in a helicalplane.
 12. The children's climbing apparatus of claim 1 including,saidintersecting planes intersecting in the middle of said first and secondarcuate rail members.
 13. The children's climbing apparatus of claim 1including,said pair of first member end portions and said pair of secondmember end portions being positioned in the same horizontal plane. 14.The children's climbing apparatus of claim 1 including,said children'sclimbing rungs being spaced and adapted to support and to be grasped bychildren climbing along the length of said first and second arcuate railmembers.
 15. The children's climbing apparatus of claim 1 including,eachsaid rung being generally the same length.
 16. A children's climbingapparatus suitable for use in parks and playgrounds comprising:a firstarcuate rail member having a pair of first member end portionssupportable by the ground, a second arcuate rail member having a pair ofsecond member end portions supportable by the ground, said first andsecond arcuate rail members lying generally in intersecting verticalplanes intersecting in the middle of said first and second arcuate railmembers and being symmetrical about a vertical plane, said first arcuaterail member having a radius of curvature greater than the radius ofcurvature of said second arcuate rail member, said pairs of first andsecond member end portions being positioned in the same horizontalplane, said first and second arcuate rail members being positionedrelative to each other and to a vertical plane having first and secondsides such that one said first member end portion is positioned on saidfirst side and the other said first member end portion is positioned onsaid second side and the one said second member end portion closest tosaid one said first member end portion is positioned on said second sideand the other said second member end portion is positioned on said firstside, and a plurality of children's climbing rungs interconnecting saidfirst and second rail members and positioned in a helical plane.